Panama January 24, 2026. Panama will become the cultural epicentre of Latin America and the Caribbean with the celebration of the CAF Festival "Voices for our region: A culture that moves the world," a high-level event powered by CAF - a development bench of Latin America and the Caribbean, that puts culture as a strategic axis of sustainable development, regional integration and social transformation.

The event, to be held on 27 January at the Panama Convention Center of Amador, will be headed by high-profile international figures such as Rigoberta Menchú, Nobel Peace Prize and renowned journalist Carmen Aristegui and will bring together artists, creators, cultural leaders and institutional representatives from 23 countries for two days.

The Ministry of Culture of Panama will have an outstanding participation in the official agenda. The Minister of Culture, María Eugenia Herrera, will have been charged with offering the words of opening up the festival and will have an important role to play as a strategic investment for the economic and social development of the region at the event "Cultural Investment and Territorial Development," to be held at 12: 45 p.m. and will share with the Chereda Grannum, manager of the Reclaiming Our Atlantic Destiny Programme at the Office of the Prime Minister of Barbados and Barbados Tourism Investment Inc., María Eugenia Vidal, Director of Culture and Culture at the Ministry of Culture of Costa Rica, and Retiva, and his Minister of Culture.

The National Director of Creative Economics of the Ministry of Culture, Miguel Fábrega, will participate as part of his program at the Panel "Connecting cultures, territories and opportunities: Partnerships for an inclusive creative economy," from 10: 05 a.m. to 10: 35 a.m., with Pilar Frank O'Leary, Executive Director of Aspen Connección. The space will discuss the impact of cooperation between the public sector, international agencies and the creative ecosystem to strengthen regional cultural policies, digital platforms and cultural infrastructure.

In the afternoon, his deputy Minister of Culture, Arianne Benedetti, will put forward his paper "My Culture (MIC) - Technology for Culture" (6: 00 p.m.), where she will put forward this digital initiative of the Ministry of Culture of Panama aimed at democratization of access to cultural offer, strengthening citizen participation and intermingling the national cultural ecosystem by using technologies.

The CAF Festival celebrates culture as one of the most powerful ambassadors of the region, highlighting the growth of cultural and creative industries, the global impact of Latin music and the leadership of Latin American creators on digital platforms.

Although the event will be held face to face in Panama, it will have regional transmission for CAF's share countries, ensuring that cultural experience will reach throughout Latin America and the Caribbean